Category: paleontology

From gigantic, ancient crocodiles to strange dinosaur tail feather fossils, here are the 14 Most Interesting Moments For Science in 2016.

Antimatter Hydrogen Spectrum Scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research were able to successfully record the spectrum of antimatter for the first time ever last year. There’s a hypothesis that states that there should be an equal amount of matter and antimatter formed when the universe began, however, the only thing that could be recorded was matter. How did they do it? By “creating an antimatter hydrogen atom with a negatively charged proton nucleus and a positively charged electron and measured its wavelength.

Tardigrade DNA If you haven’t heard about these microscopic creatures then you’re truly missing out. Tardigrades are able to withstand some of the harshest environments such as sub zero to 150-degree temperatures, along with surviving out in the vacuum of space for up to 10 days. They can even be frozen and revived after 30 years as such was done back in January. The true discovery though was that Japanese scientists found the DNA responsible for protecting them from radiation and said they could transfer that resistance into human cells.

New Crocodile Species Researchers made a stunning discovery back in January when they unearthed the skull and bones of what is believed to be the largest marine crocodile to have ever lived. The remains were dug up in an African desert and it was reported that the reptile could grow to be more than 30 feet long and weigh about 6,000 pounds. Thankfully, they all died out years ago. The crocodile was named Machimosaurus rex and is said to be 120-million-years-old.

New Reptile This distinctly shaped skull of a new reptile was actually discovered way back in 1940 during a dig in Big Spring, Texas, however, it wasn’t identified as a new species until around last September. The reptile has been named Tripticus primus and lived some 2278 million years ago. Its head was described as having a dome shape that resembled that of a battering ram. It’s not exactly sure what the purpose of their shaped heads was for but some speculations range from defensive purposes to simply for show.

Ancient Human Footprints Geologists managed to discover some 400 footprints left by ancient humans back in October and dated them at being around 19,000-years-old. The footprints were originally thought to have been as old as 12,000 years and were kept so perfectly preserved all these years. The natives stepped in the mud that was then dried out in a day or two and was then blanketed by a layer of ash from a nearby volcano in the northern Tanzanian village of Engare Sero.

3Proxima B The discovery of a new planet that is located only 4.2 light years away was announced back in August of last year. Named Proxima B, the planet happens to be 1.3 times the mass of our own planet and is said to lie in what is known as the “Goldilocks zone” where it has the optimal temperature conditions to possibly hold water. 4.2 light is a whole lot of distance to cover but as of now, it is the closest exoplanet in range of the earth. Dinosaur Tail Feathers Perhaps one of the biggest and most important archeological finds to happen to date, this dinosaur tail that was somehow trapped in amber was discovered in late 2016. The fossil was found not inside the earth but rather it came into the hands of paleontologists while they were attending a market in Myanmar. It was initially believed to be a plant and was supposed to be made into jewelry. The fossil has been dated to being around 99 million-years-old and belonged to a dinosaur that lived in the mid-cretaceous era. Before we reveal number one, let us know in the comments below which one of these scientific moments you thought was the most interesting and don’t forget to subscribe. And now…

Gravitational Waves This scientific discovery was recognized as the biggest of the year when back in February scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory were able to detect the faintest ripples that occurred in the fabric of space-time. The ripples were caused by to enormous black holes that collided with one another some billion years ago. The historic find was then reconfirmed when gravitational waves were again observed some four months later in June. Now the universe can be viewed by using these waves.

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These are really big animals that actually existed. Head up on the video that s probably playing bellow.

Arthropleura (art-hra-ploo-ra)- This was an ancestor to millipedes and centipedes, and could grow up to 8 feet long … although some sources claim it could grow even longer. Contrast that size to a modern-day centipedes which go around 10 inches long. They could also measure several feet wide, which would make for a scary sight, to say the least. Because of its massive size, it’s thought the creature had few predators, despite it being an invertebrate … it is in fact, the largest invertebrate species ever uncovered — by a wide margin. Arthropleura looked like it could be a predator itself, but it was actually a herbivorous arthropod. And fossilized evidence indicates it could move pretty fast across the forest floor, swerving to avoid rocks and trees. It lived around 300 million years ago throughout present-day North America and Scotland.

Meganeura (mega-noor-uh) Best described as a giant dragonfly, these creatures existed around 300 million years ago are are related to the present day insects. Did you know they could be the size of birds? Their fossils were initially found in France in 1880, and have since been found in England. One genus (JEE-nus) is thought to have been the largest insect that ever lived … with a length around 17 inches and a wingspan exceeding 2 feet. Can you imagine a dragonfly feeding on prey as big as squirrels or frogs? Experts say that this creature did just that!

Monster Sea Scorpion Fossils of Jaekelopterus (jay-kel-OP-ter-us) indicate the creature lived around 390 million years ago. Measuring over 8 feet, a single pincer was more than 18 inches long. No wonder that J.rhenaniae (reh-NAY-nee) is thought to be the largest known arthropod yet discovered. Their size makes them larger that eurypterids (yoo-RIP-tuh-rids) … a group that is related to the scorpions and land spiders of today. Today, the coconut crab and Japanese spider crab are among the largest living arthropods in the world.

Haast’s Eagle This is the largest species of eagle that was ever known to exist … and the females were significantly larger than the males. They could weigh up to 36 pounds, with a wingspan approaching 10 feet …And were found on the South Island of New Zealand, where the birds are commonly accepted as part of Maori (MAO-ree) legend. The eagles preyed on large flightless bird species, including the Moa, which was 15 times its weight … Striking at speeds up to 50 mph. When human hunters arrived in New Zealand, they also preyed on the large flightless birds there. Haast’s Eagle became extinct about 1,400 years ago after its natural food source disappeared.

Megalodon is the legendary prehistoric shark that measured up to 60 feet long and weighed around 65 tons … but some estimates put those numbers even higher. Did you know scientists have calculated the ancient predator could have exerted a bite force of more than 18 tons!

Titanoboa — Fossils of this creature were found in Colombia … and indicate the creature would have measured over 40 feet long and weighed around 2,500 pounds. They would have been found slithering about some 60 million years ago.

Mosasaurus (moe-suh-SORE-us) Like plesiosaurs, these were marine reptiles, not technically dinosaurs. But going nearly 60 feet long, this was thought to be about the biggest of the lot. Experts say that the carnivorous critter resembled an immense crocodile … and would have been one of the deadliest creatures alive during the Cretaceous Period. Mosasaurs are closely related to lizards of today, like the Komodo Dragon. The creatures were believed to chase down prey by using their powerful, shark-like tails. And they were evidently well-traveled animals as well. Their fossils have been found on every continent, including Antarctica. You might recall this creature being the breakout star of “Jurassic World” in 2015 … although some experts said too many liberties were taken with the animal’s portrayal.